Straddle-row cultivator.



No. 821,145. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

A. 0. WALTER. STRADDLE ROW GULTIVATOR.

AIPLIGATION FILED I'EB. 15. 1906.

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No. 821,145. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. A. G! WALTER.

. STRADDLE ROW CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AUGUST CHRISTIAN WALTER, OF ALEX, INDIAN TERRITORY.

STRADDLE-ROW CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented May 22, 1906.

Application filed February 15, 1906. Serial No. 301,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST CHRISTIAN WALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alex, Indian Territory, have invented new and useful Improvements in straddle-Row Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in straddle-row cultivators of that kind or style adapted to list rows of standing plants, especially rows of corn; and the object is to produce a machine of improved and simplified make or construction by which the rows Will be listed and at the same time the space between the rows will be tilled and cleaned.

With these objects in view the invention resides in the novel construction of parts and their aggroupment in operative combination, as will be hereinafter fully specified, and then the asserted novelty particularly pointed and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have clearly and fully illustrated my improvements, which drawings are to be taken as a part hereof.

Reference being had to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine as when ready for operation in the field.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section, showing the front arch-bar partly broken away and the lever-latch engaged. Fig. 3 is a side View in elevation of the complete device. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the fender and. midway or centrally-through the arches of the runners. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the rear knives made both vertically and laterally adjustable.

Referring to the drawings by reference-notations designating the same parts in the several illustrations, A A designate the runners, which are disposed parallelwith each other, and on the top edges of the runners are secured broad plates or flanges 1, supported on brackets 2, one limb of which extends down the outer faces of the runners, as shown, and there suitably secured, as indicated in Fig. 3. At the front end portion of the runners on the inner faces thereof are secured pullstraps 4, provided with eyes in their projecting ends, in which engage the hooks of pullbars 5 6, the outer ends of which are held in a ring 7, to which the ordinary draft appliances may be connected.

At the front end portion of the platform or plates 1 is secured a metal strap 8, arched in the middle portion, as at 9, the ends of the strap extending on the plates and there adjustably secured by means of clamping-bolts 10 projected through the horizontal limbs of the brackets 2, the plates 1, and through the slots 11 in the strap 8. On the rear portion of the runners and platform is supported a seat 12, the support of which consists of a metal bar on strap 13, the middle part of which is arched or elevated and straddles the space between the runners, as indicated, and having the ends extended and laid on the side plates, as shown, and formed with slots 14, coincident with the slots 1 1 in the arms of the arched bar 8. Clamping-bolts 15 are projected through the contiguous parts and engage through the slots. It will be perceived from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, that by means of the clamping-bolts engaging in the slots of the seat-bar and the forward arched bar the runners may be adjusted to and from each other in order to accommodate them to the rows of different widths.

To the rear end of each runner is pivotally secured the inner end of a bar 16, the outer end being rigidly fastened to the sides of the fender 17, which because of its pivotal connection to the rear end of the runners may be tilted to raise it free from all interference with the standing plants and preventing the undue encroachment of the loosened earth therewith. To tilt the fender and at the same time tilt the knives and the plows, a band 18 is secured to the outer face of the fender, to which a pull-rod 19 is connected,

the other end of which is suitably attached to the arch or raised part of a shaft 20, which is suitably operated and partly rotated by a hand-lever 21, through a rod 22 extending from the arch of the shaft 20 to the lever, as shown. This lever mechanism comprises a shaft or arbor 22, mounted in suitable bearings, as 23, and is arched or raised in the middle, as shown, to escape the tops of the plants From the middle of the arch of the arbor extends integrally therewith the lever 21, formed with a slot 24, in which engages a latch 25, extending slidingly through the slot in the lever, and provided with notches 26 to drop down and engage the lower end of the slot 24, as shown in' the drawings. The latch is hung to the arched bar 8 and is operated by a rod 27, extending from the latch to a handpiece .28, pivotally mounted to the upper end portion of the lever, as shown in the drawings. It will be observed that by releasing the latch and then throwing the lever forward until the back notch is engaged the shaft 20 will be rocked in its bearings accordingly and the fender will be tilted and carried free from the ground.

At the rear end of each of the plates 1, which constitute a platform, is secured a bearing 29, in which the shaft '20 is mounted so as to rock therein, the shaft being held against endwise movement by set collars 30, which collars are slidable on the shaft in order that they may be moved against the bearings when the runners are adjusted to different distances apart. The collars are fixed in the desired positions by set-screws, as indicated. The shaft 20 is of such length as to extend beyond the outer edges of the platformplates 1, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and on the end-extending portions of the shaft are mounted the beams of the plows, each consisting of a sleeve 31, held in position on the shaft by set-screws 32, the sleeves being formed with rearwardly extending arms 33, which terminate ain vertically-disposed sleeves 34, in which the rear stem of the plow-beams proper, 35, detachably and adjustably fit and engage. The beams 35 consist of a horizontal bar having its end portions struck at right angles thereto and the outer limbs of which carry the shovels or plows 36, secured to a back plate 37, having clamping-lugs 38, which are secured to the outer limbs of the beams, substantially as seen in the drawings. It will be perceived that the shovels may be tilted through the agency of the shaft 20 and the lever 21 and that they may be set to .dig the desired depths and till rows of different widths by loosening the rear limbs of the beams and moving them up or down in the vertical sleeves and then swinging them laterally, then retightening the setscrews. It will also be seen that the plows may be adjusted laterally on the shaft 20 by simply loosening the sleeves 31 and sliding the sleeves to the required position, when the set-screws may be tightened up.

On the shaft 20 are slidably and adjustably mounted sleeves 39, held on the shaft by setscrews, as indicated, and are formed with rearwardly-extending arms 40, terminating in vertically-disposed sleeves.41, in which the vertical stems 42 are adjustably secured by means of set-screws, as shown. The lower end of these stems 42 are formed with bosses 43, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) which are provided with horizontal apertures and have their outer faces radially notched.

44 designates the knives, which consist of flat blades with sharp working edges and have secured to their shanks or rear ends brackets 45, formed with bosses 46, as shown,

the rear faces of which are radially notched to interengage with the notches in the bosses 43. The bosses 66 have screw-threaded holes through them in which clamping-bolts 47 engage to hold the knives in set position. It will readily be observed that the knives may be swung laterally on the stems 42, also moved vertically by the same means and their cutting edges given the desired direction by means of the interengaging bosses.

The construction having been fully described and the functions and adaptations clearly specified, the operation is apparent to one skilled in the use of such a machine; but it may be stated that the several elements or parts are adjusted in their relative positions in height or depth and laterally to suit the height and position of the rows of plants, which being ascertained and accomplished the machine is in shape for use, as indicated. When the machine is to be turned at the end of the rows or to remain inoperative during progress to and from the field, the lever 21 is brought into action and all theparts carried by and connected to the shaft 20 will be held tilted and lifted free from the ground, and so held by the engagement of the latch 25.

What I claim is 1. In a straddle-row cultivator, the combination with the runners and the platforms secured thereto, of an arched strap straddling the space between the runners and having extensions adjustably secured to the plat forms, an arched shaft j ournaled on the platforms and formed with an integral lever, provided with a slot, a notched latch hung to the forward arched strap and engaging the slot in the lever, a rock-shaft j ournaled at the rear ends of the platforms and formed with a raised or arched middle portion, a fender pivotally secured to the rear ends of the runners, a connecting-rod between the fender and the arch of the rock-shaft, and a connecting-rod between said rock-shaft and the lever.

2. In a straddle-row cultivator, the combination of the rock-shaft j ournaled at the rear of the machine and provided with an arched middle portion disposed to straddle the row of standing plants, and knives secured to the rock-shaft and comprising arms adjustably mounted on said shaft and formed with vertically-disposed sleeves at their outer ends, vertical stems adjustably fitted in said ver tical sleeves and formed at their lower ends with bosses, having one face radially notched, brackets formed with bosses having one face radially notched to en age the coincident notches in the bosses of said stems, a bolt projected through the bosses to clamp them together, and flat knives secured to the brackets, and means substantially as described to rock the shaft and tilt and lift the knives from the ground.

3. In a straddle-row cultivator, the combination with the runners and the platform mounted thereon, of a rock-shaft journaled and plows secured to the outer limb of the I0 to the rear ends of the platform and formed beams.

with an arched middle portion straddling In testimony whereof I affix my signature till)? space betdween thie lfilrinersa arms aljustll in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

a mounte on sai s a t an 'orme wit verliically-disposed sleeves at their free ends, AUGUST CHRISTIAN WALTER plow-beams adjustably fitted in said sleeves Witnesses: and consisting of horizontal portions having CHARLES OALLANAN, the ends turned down at right angles thereto, JACOB MURRY. 

